Hanah
Independent Female Lead, Crackling Romance, Gorgeous Clothing - So Glad I Gave This a Shot!!
I found out about this drama though an internet review. I was hesitant to watch because of the borderline rating (I almost never watch dramas rated lower than an 8) and comments about the pacing but I'm so very glad I did - I really enjoyed this one! To be fair, I believe it has a lot of elements I favor which might have played a huge factor like such independent and calm female lead, devoted male lead, amazing romance, ROC clothing and vibe and well-written characters.
I think the biggest reason why I loved this drama is the female lead and her narrative. The character herself is cool, calm, elegant, intelligent and somewhat morally gray, which are all traits I especially love seeing in a female lead and the actress pulled it off really well. She looks gorgeous too! But more than that, our FL is an active character in that her decisions influence the plot and her influences and is influenced by many characters throughout the show, which to me is the hallmark of a well-written character. You may not always like the things she does, but 1. she is the one doing things rather than passively reacting to them and 2. her emotional reasoning is pretty sound.
I ended up loving the male lead to bits too. It was really interesting because at first I the actor himself did the boyish and arrogant-young-master aura really well but was struggling when trying to portray the charisma and authority of a more mature adult. But later in the drama he pulled off those scenes amazing well too and it makes it wonder if the earlier awkward acting was almost deliberately so reflex the character's ability as that time and later development. If so, well done! I really loved our main lead's romance as well and the chemistry was on fire.
I really appreciated that the other characters - especially a lot of other other females roles like the sisters, the concubines, the finance - had their own back story and motivations too, even if the drama itself did not spend too much time on it. Everyone had their own reasons for doing things and very few characters existed solely to create obstacles for our main leads. Acting of the supporting cast was excellent as well. And yes, the plot did have some various sized holes pacing did suffer a little in the last 25% but overall it was not bad - I liked the overall drama enough that it did not detract from the viewing experience.
The setting/production/clothing was all gorgeous. Although some of the sets did look a little constructed, it did not take away from the aesthetic. I like the ROC time period for as a drama watcher because the whole era has this theme of the war and corruption and tragedy underneath all the dazzling glitz and glamour, which can make for great drama. This drama fits into this theme very well. Plus, all the pretty clothes an d its always fascinating watching a changing era where you can see how the past becomes the present.
This would be a decent re-watch, especially the cute couple moments. Overall, especially if you like the tags of this drama. I would definitely recommend.
I think the biggest reason why I loved this drama is the female lead and her narrative. The character herself is cool, calm, elegant, intelligent and somewhat morally gray, which are all traits I especially love seeing in a female lead and the actress pulled it off really well. She looks gorgeous too! But more than that, our FL is an active character in that her decisions influence the plot and her influences and is influenced by many characters throughout the show, which to me is the hallmark of a well-written character. You may not always like the things she does, but 1. she is the one doing things rather than passively reacting to them and 2. her emotional reasoning is pretty sound.
I ended up loving the male lead to bits too. It was really interesting because at first I the actor himself did the boyish and arrogant-young-master aura really well but was struggling when trying to portray the charisma and authority of a more mature adult. But later in the drama he pulled off those scenes amazing well too and it makes it wonder if the earlier awkward acting was almost deliberately so reflex the character's ability as that time and later development. If so, well done! I really loved our main lead's romance as well and the chemistry was on fire.
I really appreciated that the other characters - especially a lot of other other females roles like the sisters, the concubines, the finance - had their own back story and motivations too, even if the drama itself did not spend too much time on it. Everyone had their own reasons for doing things and very few characters existed solely to create obstacles for our main leads. Acting of the supporting cast was excellent as well. And yes, the plot did have some various sized holes pacing did suffer a little in the last 25% but overall it was not bad - I liked the overall drama enough that it did not detract from the viewing experience.
The setting/production/clothing was all gorgeous. Although some of the sets did look a little constructed, it did not take away from the aesthetic. I like the ROC time period for as a drama watcher because the whole era has this theme of the war and corruption and tragedy underneath all the dazzling glitz and glamour, which can make for great drama. This drama fits into this theme very well. Plus, all the pretty clothes an d its always fascinating watching a changing era where you can see how the past becomes the present.
This would be a decent re-watch, especially the cute couple moments. Overall, especially if you like the tags of this drama. I would definitely recommend.
Was this review helpful to you?
